Chapter 571 Beijing Camp
Lin Changning carried Li Mingshu down from the carriage as before, with Chang Zhiyuan standing beside them. The two now only look about 80% alike, but their different temperaments make it easy to tell them apart at a glance.
"Xiao Liu, His Majesty and the Empress are in the main hall now, with my aunt, brother, and sister-in-law accompanying them. Let's write quickly so the princess doesn't catch a cold."
Lin Changning glanced at Qi Rong: "Second Brother? If you're not in a hurry to reply, let's go together."
Qi Rong nodded and followed behind Lin Changning, holding Yue'er in his arms: "Of course."
The group turned and entered the Lin residence. In a corner unnoticed by them, Lin Changqing quietly hid in the crowd. He glanced at the similar faces of Lin Changning and Lin Changping and made a bold guess in his mind.
Lin Changning actually dared to disguise herself as a man and enter the First Prince's residence!
The hatred in Lin Changqing's eyes was barely contained, replaced by a hint of eager excitement.
However, thinking of the upcoming imperial examination, Lin Changqing silently suppressed the ruthlessness in his heart, stared intently at the plaque of the Marquis of Wu'an's residence, and then turned and disappeared into the crowd.
At the Lin residence, after Lin Changning carried Li Mingshu and paid his respects to the Emperor and Empress, he was about to take Li Mingshu back to her room to rest. Although she had been feeling a little better these past two days, Li Mingshu was still weak and couldn't afford to be exposed to the wind every day.
The Empress was particularly concerned about Li Mingshu's health. After Lin Changning said a few words to them, she was about to take Li Mingshu back to her room and then headed towards the backyard.
The current furnishings of the Lin family are all arranged by the people around the Empress. The Princess's residence has been uninhabited for a long time and is currently under renovation. The Lin family residence was also carefully selected by them for Changning and Shuer.
After carrying her to the side room of the main house, Lin Changning thoughtfully tucked the blankets around Li Mingshu and helped her lean against the bed.
A charcoal fire had been burning in the room for a long time, and the warm glow made people drowsy. Li Mingshu had only just lain down when she felt sleepy.
The emperor and empress standing beside Lin Changning now looked at her with more kindness and gentleness, just like the elders in an ordinary family.
The Empress sat by the bedside, and after the imperial physician examined Li Mingshu, she quietly stayed with her daughter, said a few words, and watched her daughter fall asleep before turning to look at Lin Changning, who had been standing beside her.
With gentle eyes and a soft tone, she said, "Thank you for taking care of Ashu these days, Xiao Liu."
Lin Changning gently shook his head at the Empress: "Mother, I am Ashu's husband, it is all I should do."
As she spoke, a look of pity fell upon Li Mingshu.
Looking at Lin Changning's expression, the Empress sighed inwardly. She sent a message to the people sent to the two of them, saying that Lin Changning was doing almost everything himself, leaving no one else to handle Ashu's affairs. After finishing his official duties during the day, he would go back to accompany Ashu and Yue'er at night, and he even fed them medicine without fail.
These days, I've never seen a gentleman who could do this.
"I understand that you care about Shu'er. She looks even thinner than she did a few months ago. Shu'er is important, but you should also take care of your own health."
Lin Changning cupped her hands, smiled slightly, and said to the Empress, "Thank you for your concern, Mother. I will be more careful in the future."
The Emperor patted Lin Changning on the shoulder: "Your mother misses Shu'er very much. Let her spend more time with Shu'er. Come, good child, come out with your father. Let's have a chat."
Hearing the emperor's unusually kind words, Lin Changning became more cautious and bowed to the emperor, saying, "Yes, Father."
The emperor's eyes softened, and he looked at Lin Changning with admiration: "At home, regardless of the distinction between ruler and subject, you are Shu'er's husband, and therefore my son-in-law. Your father has something to say to you."
Lin Changning nodded in agreement and followed the emperor outside. Soon, a clever eunuch led the two to sit at a stone table in the courtyard. After they were seated, tea was served to them.
"You've worked hard taking care of Shu'er these past few days. Your father has seen everything you've done. You are extremely intelligent, as your father knows. But there is something I would like to ask for your advice on."
Lin Changning poured tea for the emperor and gently placed it in front of him: "Father, please speak."
The emperor's face showed some hesitation: "Your father knows your ability to train troops. Now that the internal troubles of the court have just been resolved, the external threats are growing stronger every day. There are many people in the court forming cliques and engaging in self-serving activities. Your father wants you to help me train a batch of troops to be distributed to various garrisons to fight against the foreign enemies. The court is short of people..."
The emperor paused for a moment before continuing, "The soldiers we brought from Taiyuan are simply not enough to face such a vast country. When it comes to training troops, even Qin and Qian are inferior to you. The struggle for the throne on the grasslands is almost over, and the Tartars have already invaded the border before winter has even arrived. If it weren't for this, I would have already punished those nobles from Yun. I know that you and Shu'er are deeply in love, but at this moment, I really can't find a better candidate. I am truly conflicted, and after much thought, I have come to ask for your opinion."
Lin Changning immediately understood what the emperor meant. The emperor was worried about his daughter, but the country was currently short of manpower. He wanted him to work, but he was also worried that Li Mingshu's health wouldn't hold up for long. If he separated the couple, his daughter would not be happy during her final days and would be tormented by guilt every night. So he simply threw the problem to her: whether to stay with Li Mingshu or to choose the affairs of the country.
Lin Changning only got half of it right. The emperor wanted Lin Changning to do both things well: train troops during the day and come back early in the evening to accompany Li Mingshu. However, as soon as he mentioned this idea to the empress, he was severely punished.
The messenger from Taiyuan said that Lin Changning had been taking care of his daughter day and night and had lost a lot of weight. How could we let Lin Changning go to work during the day and go back to take care of the sick at night? As he spoke, he chased after the emperor and punched him a few more times, saying that the man had no conscience.
The emperor was also helpless. He was really short of people. The previous emperor did not value military generals much, and there were few people he could use. The best trained soldiers in the army were Lin Changning's Right Guard. If A Rong were to be put in charge, it would be fine, but the imperial physician said that A Rong's body was damaged and that if he continued to work hard every day, it would affect his lifespan.
Unfortunately, Lin Changning has a few capable soldiers under his command, but they lack experience and need a leader. What he lacks is time.
The emperor is in a dilemma, as his daughter's health is not good. He has no other choice but to ask Lin Changning for advice.
This child is clever; perhaps there's a way to have the best of both worlds.
“Father, A-Shu is not well, and I would like to spend more time with her. I can write down the training methods and review them every half month. Is that alright?”
The Emperor hesitated for a moment: "Alright, but you don't really have much to do at home. After Ashu rests each day, I will have the generals from the capital garrison come to the residence. Please give them some pointers. The garrison's defenses in the capital are of great importance, and you will need to take good care of them..."
"Yes, Father."
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